In this episode of Cult, we dive into Saatchi Gallery's winter exhibitions, where black life, environmental fragility, and community spirit are celebrated through thought-provoking photography.
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00:00Hello and welcome to London's Saatchi Gallery, where this winter, three photography exhibitions
00:10are taking centre stage, exploring the complex strength and beauty of black life, the fragility
00:18of the natural world, and the power of community spirit.
00:29As we rise, photography from the Black Atlantic examines African diasporic culture through
00:35concepts of community, identity, and power.
00:38We are seeing a lot of expressions of joy, of celebration, and I think that these images
00:47are very much in conversation with what's happening in the world, where we see lots
00:51of speaking out and activism against anti-black violence.
00:55And so while those images that we see are important, this show also offers us another
01:01entry point and a broader picture.
01:06Photographer Jorian Charlton turns the focus on Jamaican-Canadian culture, drawing on her
01:11own experiences and that of her community in Toronto.
01:16I do like images where it's a bit obscured, or maybe you can't see the person's face,
01:20but you can still get a strong sense of community or togetherness.
01:29Adaptation invites us to question and reflect on our surroundings in a changing world.
01:35Some of the works from contemporary American photographer Anastasia Samoylova are the spotlight
01:41on climate change.
01:43The image behind me was taken a day after a major hurricane.
01:47It's this juxtaposition between this kind of marshmallow colors of Miami Beach.
01:52It's very carefully crafted, idealized image of itself, and the reality that's very fragile
01:58and vulnerable to climatic change.
02:02The March of the Hummingbirds exhibition brings the rich histories of the Caribbean and Mauritius
02:08to life.
02:10Photographer Anissa Dawogyi from South London puts community spirit front and center.
02:16My mother was from Trinidad, and my father is from Mauritius.
02:19I'm blessed to live in a place where it's very diverse.
02:22The countries that my parents are from are incredibly diverse.
02:26The crossovers are actually quite beautiful.
02:28People say that multiculturalism doesn't work.
02:30I think this body of work is to sort of challenge that.
02:35We have a wide scope here that is being displayed through many different styles of photography
02:40and many different techniques, and I think that's really important to see in our contemporary
02:44world.
02:46All three exhibitions run at London's Saatchi Gallery into January, with one ticket giving
02:52access to all.